California Schools’ Anti-Tobacco Programs Reduce Student Smoking and Vaping

A recent study in the Journal of Adolescent Health highlights the impact of California’s school-based Tobacco-Use Prevention Education (TUPE) program. Analyzing 2019–2020 survey data from over 160,000 students, researchers found that students at TUPE-funded schools had lower rates of tobacco use (6.5% vs. 8.1%) and vaping (5.4% vs. 7%) compared to peers at non-TUPE schools.

While exposure to tobacco advertising was similar across schools, TUPE students accessed more education, cessation services, peer counseling, and prevention activities. Funded by state tobacco taxes, TUPE demonstrates how sustained, school-focused programming can measurably reduce youth tobacco and vaping rates. Read the study in Science Direct here.